story5361.xml

story5361.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

MY NAME IS MARLENE HAWLEY. I LIVE IN JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS, NY.

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, RUNNING A LITTLE LATE THAT MORNING, I EXITED THE SUBWAY AT 42ND STREET AND 5TH AVENUE. THE FIRST THING THAT SEEMED ODD WAS ALL THE PEOPLE STANDING LOOKING IN ONE DIRECTION, THINKING IT WAS A ROAD ACCIDENT I CONTINUED ON, I AM NOT ONE TO GAWK AT SOMEONE ELSE'S MISFORTUNE. I ARRIVED AT MY BUILDING AND ASKED THE LADY I BOUGHT MY COFFEE FROM AT THAT TIME, "WHAT IS GOING ON, WHY ARE PEOPLE JUST STANDING AROUND"? SHE REPLIED, "THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE SMOKE", I ASKED HER, "WHAT SMOKE"? SHE SAID, "A PLANE HAS HIT ONE OF THE TOWERS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER". I CONTINUED UP TO MY OFFICE AND ONLY ONE CO-WORKER, ROZ WAS IN THAT DAY. I ASKED HER, "JUST WHAT IS GOING ON"? SHE TOLD ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND FOR A WHILE IT JUST DIDN'T REGISTER.

WE FINALLY FOUND OUT WE COULD LEAVE MANHATTAN IF WE WALKED OVER THE BRIDGE. FOR US IT WAS THE QUEENSBOROUGH BRIDGE, BOTH OF US LIVE IN QUEENS. MY CO-WORKER WAS WEARING HEELS AND WE TRIED AND TRIED TO FIND SOMETHING FOR HER TO WEAR BUT THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT.

I AM NOT A BRAVE PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO WALKING OVER HIGH BRIDGES THAT SPAN WATER. HOWEVER, WE WERE ABLE TO WALK ON THE ROAD WHICH USUALLY CARRIED THE TRAFFIC INTO MANHATTAN, SINCE NO ONE WAS ALLOWED INTO MANHATTAN WE HAD THE ROADWAY TO OURSELVES. MY CO-WORKER, ROZ TAPPED ME ON MY ARM AND SAID, "LOOK AT THAT", LOOKING OVER MY RIGHT SHOULDER BACK TO WHERE THE TWIN TOWERS USED TO STAND WE SAW NOTHING BUT THICK BLACK SMOKE. WE WERE NEVER SO GLAD TO SEE THE, WELCOME TO QUEENS SIGN HANGING OVER THE QUEENSBOROUGH BRIDGE.

BUSES WERE RUNNING ONCE YOU GOT OVER THE BRIDGE. MY BUS WAS THERE BUT MY CO-WORKER ROZ'S BUS WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. SHE SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND CALL HER HUSBAND AND SEE IF HE COULD PICK HER UP. FINALLY, I BOARDED THE Q32 TO JACKSON HEIGHTS AND EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT PARTICULARLY HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY JACKSON HEIGHTS IS NOW, I WAS NEVER SO GLAD TO SEE IT AS I WAS THAT DAY.

WHEN I GOT HOME I WAS GREETED BY MY COMPANION COCKATIELS, WHO SEEMED TO KNOW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH "MOMMY", THEIR KISSES WERE SO SWEET AND THEIR LITTLE BODIES SO COMFORTING, ITS JUST THEM AND ME.

I, OF COURSE, TURNED ON THE TELEVISION AND WHEN I SAW THE FULL REALITY OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED I WAS HORRIFIED. WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAD BEEN SO MANY RESCUE PERSONNEL LOST I CRIED FOR HOURS. SO MANY BRAVE FIREFIGHTERS; POLICE OFFICERS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND THE PORT AUTHORITY; PARAMEDICS; COURT OFFICERS SO MANY RESCUERS, GONE.

I FOUND THE ANNIVERSARY OF THAT HORRIFIC EVENT MORE EMOTIONAL THAN WHEN WE WERE FIRST ATTACKED. WE NOW HAVE NAMES AND FACES TO GO WITH THE LOST.

MY HEART GOES OUT TO EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE WHO LOST LOVED ONES AND FOR EVERYONE WHO WAS TOUCHED BY SUCH A COWARDLY ATTACK.

I WAS PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, IT MADE ME VERY PROUD TO BE BOTH BRITISH AND AMERICAN (MY ADOPTED COUNTRY), FOR THEIR SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT.

I CAN ONLY HOPE AND PRAY THAT NOTHING EVERY HAPPENS LIKE THIS AGAIN TO ANYONE, ANYWHERE.